LUXURY TRAVEL IN GREENLAND

PROFILE OF A LUXURY TRAVELER

The luxury market is a special group of wealthy travelers willing to pay top dollar (25.000 DKK a night just for accommodations is not unheard of) for highly customized service and bespoke experiences that do not duplicate any trip that has ever happened before. At this price point, high end travelers do not simply ‘buy off the shelf’.

Think flying a private jet around the world, and popping up to Greenland for a single night just to charter the Sikorsky to the Ice Sheet for a white tablecloth, candlelit dinner of Greenlandic specialities and schnapps on the glacier.

Such travelers hail primarily from the United States and Russia, but of course, every country has its upper class. Their daily lives run with dedicated service, flawless precision, and extreme attention to detail, and they expect their worldly travels to be no different.

Think flying a private jet around the world, and popping up to Greenland for a single night just to charter the Sikorsky to the Ice Sheet for a white tablecloth, candlelit dinner of Greenlandic specialities and schnapps on the glacier.

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Greenland is an exclusive destination due to a natural landscape unlike any other on the planet and the unique pioneering people who call it home. Our country is, after all, named on National Geographic Traveler’s “Tours of a Lifetime” list.

GREENLAND AS A LUXURY DESTINATION

If this market sounds a bit intimidating, it is. But, Greenland is a place for luxury travelers.

Greenland is an exclusive destination due to a natural landscape unlike any other on the planet and the unique pioneering people who call it home. Our country is, after all, named on National Geographic Traveler’s “Tours of a Lifetime” list.

Greenland can also fulfill some of the more tangible items on the luxury checklist with our, among other things, 2 four-star hotels each with five-star conference facilities, boat and aircraft charter services, heliskiing opportunities, and a handful of fine dining restaurants that serve up small works of art on a nightly basis.

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LUXURY TRAVELERS IN GREENLAND

The exclusivity factor is perhaps the biggest element for the luxury market, and it makes them very attracted to Greenland. Travelers arrive on board upscale cruise ships or by private yacht or aircraft. Under the advisement of a guide or tour operator, those traveling by land typically target Ilulissat due to the combination of highly-acclaimed accommodations and spectacular icebergs at the UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are also driven to see Arctic wildlife and experience solitude.

The exclusivity factor is perhaps the biggest element for the luxury market, and it makes them very attracted to Greenland

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This means that there is great potential for more domestic stakeholders to continue, or start, considering what place the luxury market holds in their tourism strategies, both now and in the future.

MARKET POTENTIAL

There are a few local operators around Greenland with their compasses pointed toward the luxury market, but the vast majority of companies currently catering to these travelers in Greenland are, in fact, international.

This means that there is great potential for more domestic stakeholders to continue, or start, considering what place the luxury market holds in their tourism strategies, both now and in the future.

As a closing thought, consider this little list of expectations that high end travelers have of anyone involved in the delivery of their Greenland experience.

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The luxury market expects operators to:

See tourism as more than just a job, but as a passion and lifestyle.

Want to cater to their every need.

Be accessible no matter what.

Arrange basic logistics with on-time precision.

Give immediate and valuable information when requested.

Be flexible to their changing desires.

Is your company ready for the luxury market?

Romance in Greenland 05.jpgPhoto by David Trood

CONTACT US

For any questions or comments regarding this article, please write to Sarah at:sarah@greenland.com.

Sarah is responsible for International Relationship Management and Press Relations in connection to the North American market, a wildly exciting job that takes her all over Greenland and the world!
You can also read about her personal adventures at www.2kalaallitnunaatigo.wordpress.com.